Charles Clews

The Times (of Malta) 1 April 2006; L-Orizzont, 13 March 2007 (Daily Independent Maltese newspaper); L-Orizzont 14 June 2007 (2 page spread); The Times Weekender 7 February 2009 (3 page spread); It-Torca 8 February 2009 (4 page spread)

As a token of appreciation, in December 1996 Clews was awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (The Medal for Services to the Republic), and two years later he was awarded the Trophy for a lifetime entertainment to the nation.

During a period when the listeners had very little to amuse them, Clews and his friends used to keep the Maltese islands laughing from programme to programme. Apart from his own series, Clews also helped in children’s programmes. He and Johnny Catania never missed one of the Christmas parties for needy children. Later on, during the 1970s he invented the weekly comic adventures of the mischievous boy "Fredu Frendo Sghendo" played by Johnny Navarro, who used to amuse the young (and not so young) listeners with his (mis)adventures.

Considering the many thousands of Maltese who have settled in Australia, many musicians and actors are regularly invited to present shows down-under. Clews had been invited twice. The first time was in November 1964 when he amused his audience together with another comic, Johnny Navarro. In November 1984 he travelled with his buddy Johnny Catania when they had huge success all over Australia.

For three years (1955 to 58) he was appointed as Chairman of the Stage and Film Censors Board. Even with arthritis, Clews kept himself busy until his death. Since 1959, for 47 years, he wrote a weekly humorous column in the Maltese newspaper It-Torċa and the Antenna Magazine. Some of his works include: Ali Babì, Hotel Żewwiġni and Don Rodrigo (all three being musical comedies); l-Imgermda (an adaptation of Cinderella), many sketches, one act comedies and plays

He was the backbone of The Stage Commandos, the stage company that came out with a new style of comedy in 1945 and was very popular all over the island, having performed in all the principal theatres of the two islands. Their repertoire included sketches, plays and musicals. The Stage Commandos had won the “Bajda u Ħamra” award in the one act play competition at the Radio City Theatre in 1947.

Charles Clews (September 27, 1919 – January 29, 2009) was a Maltese comic actor and script writer. Clews was one of the first contributors to the local Maltese radio (then Rediffusion). He found solace in his mother-in-law about whom he used to joke constantly, depicting her as a monster when in fact she had been an angel. He married in 1943 and had eight children; Hilary (deceased), Miriam, Jane, Irene, Norman, Kenneth, Alan and Kevin. He was born in Senglea, Malta.